It is not always immediately obvious which is the back and which is the front of Aida fabric,  especially on plain coloured Aida. If your piece of fabric has a selvedge you can tell the difference by looking at the pinholes on the selvedge and if they are neat and smooth, this is the front side of the fabric. If your fabric does not have the selvedge, here are a few other ways you can tell which side should face up when you’re stitching.

• When using a needle, it is easier for the needle to find the hole on one side than the other.
• If you look at the fabric in a good light you will see that one side looks smoother and the holes clearer than the other which might look or feel a bit rougher.
• Sometimes the front of the fabric will look a little bit shinier than the back.

However, I wouldn’t worry too much as the difference is not obvious and your stitching will be fine either way.